Starting means for internal-combustion engines.



No. 842,627. IPA'I' ENTED JAN. 29, 1907. O. J. OOLEMAN.

STARTING MEANS FOR. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.17, 1903.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

172 were 60 aft 9 No. 842,627. PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907.

0. J. COLEMAN.

STARTING MEANS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No, iEQfiZV. PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907.

G. J. COLEMAN. STARTING MEANS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Wit/36336.51 fizvefztor:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLYDE J. COLEMAN, OF ROCKANVAY, NEWV JERSEY, .ASSIGNOR TO CONRAD HUBERT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y

STARTING MEANS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 29, 1907.

Applieation'filed September 17,1903. Serial No. 173,497.

To all Who/71 it 77m concern:

Be it known that l, CLYDE J. COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockaway, in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting Means for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

. This invention rel-ates to starting means for internal-combustion engines or engines which are not self-starting and which require the application of external force to initiate their operation, and has for its objects simplicity of construction, reliability and economy of operation, and simplicity and ease of control.

According to my invention a magnetic clutch is provided connecting the engine with a sclf-startingm'otor and acting as a connect ing means to drive the engine from the motor in the starting operation.

According to my invention the motor is also a power charging or storing means and is driven by the engine by means of the magnetic clutch-driving connection when the engine is self-actuated at a desired charging or power-storing speed.

According to my invent-ion a magnetic friction-clutch is provided for effecting such driving connection, and-the combined fric tional and magnetic grip are utilized to eilect the driving connection.

According to my invention relief-controlling means arc-provided, controlled by the moving parts of the engine, so as to close a relief-vent during the charging stroke of the engine to compel the engine to draw in a proper charge and. to open the relief-vent du'ring the compression-stroke to relieve the work of compression and to close the reliefvent during the combustion or explosive stroke to permit of a full utilization of the force of the combustion or explosion of the residual charge.

According to my invention the relief-con trolling moans also includes a relief-closure adapted for manual operation, and a single controlling means is provided for the starting and relief controlling means.

hily invention includes various improvements in the construction and combination of parts. 1. will now describe the means embodying my invention illusl rated in. the accompanying drawings and will thereafter point out my invention in claims.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the circuits and apparatus embodying my inven tion. Fig. l" is an end view of the circuit making and. breaking collar on the engine shaft. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of the magnetic iriction-clutch. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a modified construction. Fig. l is a side elevation of a mo tor-vehicle or automobile provided with means embodying my invention. Fig. 5 is a side elevation ol the circuit-controlling governor. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the governor on the line 6 6, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail end elevation ol the sliding collar of the governor. Fig. 8 is a detail side elevation showing the reliel controlling means in place upon the valve-chest ol the engine. Fig. 9 is a detail end elevation ol the relief-controlling means. Fig. 10 is a detail plan of the controlling-elcctromagnct. Fig. 11 is a dctail of the spider-guide for the controllingvalve sreni.

The motor-vehicle shown in Fig. 4 comprises a body to, having a seat 16 and dashboard 25. The vehicle is driven by an engine which is indicated as of the ordinary four-cycle explosive type and which is located. at the front ol" the vehicle, where it is readily accessible for inspection, control; and repair. The engine is shown onlyiin outline and has a cylinder 17, valve-chest l8, and liy-whcel- 1t) and receives its supply ol ex? plosive medium through the supply-pipe 20 from a carburetor. (Not shown.) Suitable means are provided (not shown) for opening and closing the connection of the engine with the source oi explosive medium.

With an engine which performs the work of compressing its charge it desirable that during the starting operation the engine shall be to a large extent relieved of the work of compression, and this i provide byrcliel -controlling means, which also control the starting means. This reliei-controlling means comprises a relief-cock 22 upon the valvechest 18 of the engine and adapted to be manually o mrated and an filllwillflhlC- controllingwalve 24, which electrically controlled in the construction shown in the rawings. The stem 221 of the rclicl'coi -l 22 is extended rcarwardlv through the dashboard 25 oi the vehicle and has an operatingwheel 26 located in rear of the dashboard l and in convenient position for manipulation b the operator of the vehicle. The stem also carries a circultclosing 1. rojection 27, which cooperates with a contactspring 28 to close the power circuit for the starting means.

The starting means comprise an electrodynamic machine adapted to act both as a'motor and dynamo, having field-magnets 29 and an armature 30 and carryin gon its drivingshaft 31 a magnetic clutch or power connecting and disconnecting means, which in the construction shown in the principal views of the drawings is a magnetic friction-clutch. This clutch comprises a rotating electromagnet having circular end pole-pieces 32 32 and a middle portion or core of reduced diameter, upon which the exciting-coils are Wound. This magnetic clutch is secured 20 upon the driving-shaft 31 of the electrodynamic machine'jiand is rotated in frictional contact with the fly-wheel 19 of the engine. When the coils of this clutch are excited, the magnetic circuit is closed through the flywheel of the engine and the combined frictional and magnetic contact therewith causes the clutch to tightly grip the fly-whecl and enables the rotation of the driving-shaft 31 of the electrodynamic machine to be imparted to the main shaft 33 of the engine, the desired reduction of speed resulting from the small diameter of the clutch relative to the fly-wheel.

The energizing-current for the electrodynamic machine is supplied from a storage battery 34, and the circuit for the motorcurrent is closed at the contacts 27 28 by the actuation of the operating hand-wheel 26 of the relief-cock, and flows as follows: from battery 34 by wire 35, contacts 36 37, and wire 38, and then in one path through the fiQldv-COllS of the clectrodynamic machine, tliebrushes 39 and collecting rings and the coils 40 of the magnetic friction-clutch and in another path through the commutator and armature of the electrodynamic machine, these paths uniting in the wire 42 and howing through wires 42 43, contact 28, circuitl. closing projection 27, and wires 44 and 45 back to battery. A powerful current will flow through this circuit and will energize the electrodynamic machine and cause it to operate as a motor and will energize the magnetic friction-clutch and cause it to grip the fly-wheel, and the relief-cock having been opened by the movement which closed this motor-circuit the engine will be started by the power of the motor. As the engine is thus driven it will open and close the control ling-circuit of the relief-valve by means of the circuit opening and closing collar 46 on the engine-shaft, this circuit-controlling collar cooperating with the brushes 47 to close and open the controlling-circuit, and thereby to cause the controlling-valve to be closed during the charging stroke of the engine, so that the engine will draw in the proper mixture through the carbureter, and to be opened during the comprcsslon-stroke, so as to materially relieve the engine from the work ct compression, and to be closed during the explosive stroke of the engine, so as to permit of the full utilization of the explosion of the residual charge, and again to be opened (Eur ing the scavenging stroke, and so on. This circuit-controlling collar 46 is shown in elevation in 1? ig. 1 and has a conductive plate, which makes contact at the dcsired phases of the movement of the engine. The controlling electromagnet 43 controls an armature-lever 49, which engages with the stem of the valve 24 and actuates the valve. The valve-stem is guided at its inner eno in the spider 41. When the elcctromagnct is cnergizcd to attract its armature, the valve is closed, and when the electromagnet is dotinergized the valve may freely open to relieve compression.

The circuit for energizing the controllingelectromagnet 48 flows from the battery 34 through wire" 70, from one brush 47 to the other through the conductive plate of the collar 46, and through wire 71, eiectromagnet 48, wires 72 43, cont-acts 28 27, and wires 44 45 back to battery.

When the engine has acquired sullicient power and momentum, the operator closes the relief-cock 22, and thereby opens the motor and re.let-controlling circuits at the contacts 2? 28. Independently of this manual control, however, a cl'iarging-circuit is closed through the electrodynamic machine when the engine has attained a sullicient speed to properly actuate the electrodynamic machine as a dynamo to charge the storage battery by means of a circuit-controlling governor actuated by the engine and shown as located upon the main shaft 33 of the engine. This governor con'iprises a co lar 50, lived on the shaft 33, a seeve or sliding collar 51, titted to side longitudinally on the shaft 33, pivoted weight-carr ving arms 52, weights 53, carried by these arms, and a compression spring 54 between the tired coala-r 50 and the sliding coltar 51. The sliding collar has an insuiated portion and a ICC) conducting-ring thereon, and lixed brushes Y 55 are so arranged that when the engine is at rest and until the predetermined charging speed is attained these brushes are in contact with the insuiated portion, but upon the attainment oi the predetermined speed the sliding collar 51 is moved toward the iixed collar 50, so that the conductive ring is in contact with the brushes 55 and a chargingcircuit is closed which flows from the armature of the efectrodg'namic machine through wire 38, contacts 37 36, wire 35, batter 34-, wires 45 56 from one brush 55 to the other through the conductive ring of the sliding ture of the electrodynamic machine.

collar 51, and wires 57 42 back to the arma The field coils of the eiectrodynamic machine and the coils of the magnetic friction-clutch are in series with each other and in multiple with the storage battery with respect to current generated in the armature. Another branch in multiple with the battery is from the wire 35 through the coils of a controlling-relay 58 and wire 59 to the junction of wires 42 and 57. The resistance and attractive power of this controlling-relay are so adjusted that when the storage battery has received its maximum charge the current flowing through the relay in multiple with the charging-current of anelectrodynamic machine Will cause the armature of this relay to be attracted, thereby opening the charging-circuit at the contacts 36 37 an arresting the charging operation.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 3 the magnetic clutch is of the ordinary magnetic clutch construction with an ironclad electromagnet 60 on a sleeve 65, fitted to rotate loosely on the main shaft 33of the engine and connected with the drivingshaft 31 of the electrodynamic machine. 64 by a sprocket-wheel 61 on such sleeve, a s mocket-pinion 62 on the shaft of the electroynamic machine and a chain 65%, running over such sprocket-Wheel and pinion.v

The controlling-circuits in this modified construction are substantially the same as those heretofore described, the current-collecting rings for the clutch being upon the sleeve 65 of the clutch and cooperating with brushes 66 66 and interposed in the iieidcoil multiple circuit of the eiectrodynamic machine in advance of the connection with the field-coils.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the constructions shown and above particularly described within the spirit and scope of hay invention. 5 I

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a nonstarting engine, a self-starting motor and a magnetic clutch connecting the en ine and motor.

2. The combination ot a non-starting engine, a self-starting motor and a magnetic friction-clutch connecting the engine and motor.

3. The combination of an engine, an electrodynamic machine and a magnetic clutch connecting the engine and electrodynamic machine.

4. The combination of an engine, an electroo'ynamic machine and a magnetic frictionclutch connecting the engine and electrodynamic machine.

5. The combination of an internal-combustion engine, an electromotor and an elec tromagnetic clutch connecting the engine and electromotor.

trom agnetic friction-clutch connecting the eninc and electromotor. b

7. The combination of a non-starting enginc having a rotating wheel thereon, a selfstarting motor, and anelectromagnetic friction-clutch having circular pole-pieces fitted to rotate in peripheral con-tact with the rotating wheel of the engine.

8. The combination of a non-starting en- \gine, an electromotor having field. and armature coils connected in multiple, and an electromagnetic clutch connecting the engine and motor and having energizing-coils connected in series with the field-coils of the electromotor. '9. The combination of a non-starting engine having a rotating wheel thereon, an electromotor having field and armature coils connected in multiple, a magnetic frictionclutch having circular pole-pieces fitted to rotate in peripheral contact with the rotating wheel of the engine and having energizingcoils connected in series with the field-coils of the electromotor.

10. The combination of an internalcombustion engine, an electrodynamic machine,

connecting means for the engine and electro-' dynamic machine, electrically controlled means connecting the engine and electrodynamic machine, electric .power and storing means, means for connecting the power and storing means and the electrodynamic machine for the starting operation and speedcontrolled means actuated by the'engine and including other means for connecting the electric power and storing means and the electro- (lynamic machine, such other .connecting means being operative at a speed adapted for charging the power and storing means.

11. The combination of an internal-combustion engine, an electrodynamic machine, connecting means for the engine and electrodynamic machine electric power and storing means, means for connecting the power and storing means and the electroziynamic machine, speed-controlled means actuated by the engine and including other means for connecting the electric power and storing means and the electrodynamic machine such other connecting means being operative at a speed adapted for charging the power and storing means, and automatic controlling means controlled by the-condition of the power and storing means for interrupting the charging-circuit 12. The combination of an internalcombustion engine, an electrodynamic machine, connecting means for the engine and electro: dynamic machine including an electromagnetic friction-clutch having circular polepieces fitted to rotate in. peripheral contact with a rotating part of the engine, means for connecting the power and storing means and the eleetrodynsnnic machine for the starting operation, means controlled by the speed of 5 signature in presence of two wit11es.-:os. the en ine for conneetin the electrodynamio 7 lnachir le an the power and storing means v (JADE CULPHAA for the charging operation, such means being Witnesses:

operatable at a speed adapted for the power i HENRY D. WILLIAMS, and storing means. LIVINGSTON Emmy In testimony whereof I have affixed my 

